State visit by Spanish king to Britain postponed due to snap election

(FILES) This file photo taken on April 20, 2017 shows(L-R) Spain's King Felipe VI and Spain's Queen Letizia arriving at the 2016 Cervantes Prize Literature award ceremony at the University of Alcala de Henares, near Madrid. Spain's King Felipe VI has postponed his visit to Britain due to the UK's general election on June 8, the British royal family announced on April 21, 2017. AFP PHOTO

LONDON: A planned state visit by King Felipe of Spain and his wife to Britain in June has been postponed for a month to avoid clashing with a snap election called by British Prime Minister Theresa May, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.

After May announced the surprise election for June 8, the Palace said Queen Elizabeth and Felipe had decided to delay the June 6-8 visit. It will now take place from July 12 to 14.

Tensions between Spain and Britain have grown in recent weeks over the future of Gibraltar after the European Union’s draft position on Brexit talks gave specific mention to the small British Overseas Territory on Spain’s southern tip. --Reuters